The London studio of Perkins and Will, the German landscape architects and urbanists Latz + Partner and the Spanish engineering firms TYPSA and MC2 accompany Rafael de La-Hoz in this project, which will welcome 345,000 visitors a year and cut emissions by 70 percent

19/07/19 -- The team, comprised of the international firm Rafael de La-Hoz, the London studio of Perkins and Will, German landscape architects and urbanists Latz + Partner, and Spanish engineering consultants TYPSA and MC2, take first prize in a blind competition to design the new two million square foot European Commission headquarters in the heart of Brussels.

The winning team will oversee the creation of the new complex, which will further reinvigorate the central European Quarter of Brussels. Alongside the new European Commission headquarters, which will house more than 5,000 people, will be extensive public real, a public gallery and landscaped gardens that will benefit not only staff and visitors but also the local community.

The design was selected among several hundreds of projects by a jury of internationally renowned architects and then approved by the European Commission, on the grounds of it offering a future-proofed, resilient and innovative solution to replacing the aging European Commission offices that currently stand on the site.

The new buildings are expected to generate 50% less CO2 emissions and consume 70% less energy compared with the Commission's existing offices. By concentrating staff on modern and more efficient buildings the Commission will generate greater savings compared to renovating its existing buildings or renting alternative office space elsewhere in the European Quarter.

The project was also commended for the valuable addition that will make to the ongoing expansion of the European Quarter of Brussels, where an array of EU institutions and organisations are located.

Rafael de La-Hoz: “Our design proposals seek to open up the site to all, creating a public space that is not only for European Commission employees, but also for visitors to the new Rue de Loi and the wider community. We are honoured to be playing such a central role in creating a new public-orientated heart for Brussels and European democracy. It is a real pleasure to be working with such a talented team on what will be an exciting long-term project.”

Steven Charlton, managing director of the London studio of Perkins and Will: "Major urban renewal projects are once in a generation opportunities to help places evolve and it is vital that such projects are sensitive to the history and heritage of their surroundings, while also providing the best environment possible for people to live and work.”
Tilman Latz: “We are proud to be part of such an exciting and exceptional project which will create accessible and inviting spaces for all the different people who will be visiting, working and living within and around the new complex, enjoying the luxury of maximum open space in the busy European quarter.”

Pablo Bueno, CEO of TYPSA Group: “We are proud to have contributed to our joint success, providing innovative and sustainable engineering solutions that not only minimise the carbon footprint of these iconic buildings and provide energy efficient designs, but also optimise operation, maintenance and lifecycle costs.”

For more information and materials, visit the website of the project: https://ec.europa.eu/oib/loi130-competition/index_en.htm

About RAFAEL DE LA-HOZ Arquitectos

RAFAEL DE LA-HOZ is a multi-disciplinary architecture firm with a solid international footprint and headquartered in Madrid. Founded in 1920 and led by the prestigious architect Rafael de La-Hoz Castanys, the practice has an experienced team of architects and a portfolio of more than 500 projects in 20 countries. The firm is known for its exceptional architecture and its commitment to innovation, sustainability and excellence. RAFAEL DE LA-HOZ has the belief that architecture and urban planning has a direct impact on people lives, so they are committed to provide an architecture that prioritizes the ability to generate lasting emotions. Among its projects, it´s worth highlighting the real estate developments Lagasca99 in Madrid and the One Ninety Seven in Australia and the development of four hotels in Frankfurt and the Tour Mohammed VI, in Morocco, as well as Repsol’s and Telefonica’s headquarters, in Madrid. For more information, visit www.rafaeldelahoz.com.

About Perkins and Will

Perkins and Will, an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm, was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. Guided by its core values - design excellence, diversity and inclusion, research, resilience, social purpose, sustainability, and well-being - the firm is committed to designing a better, more beautiful world. Fast Company named Perkins and Will one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Architecture, and industry rankings consistently place Perkins and Will among the world’s top design practices. With an international team of more than 2,500 professionals, the firm has over 20 studios worldwide, providing services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture. Partners include Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen; retail strategy and design consultancy Portland; sustainable transportation planning consultancy Nelson\Nygaard; healthcare technology planning firm Genesis; and luxury hospitality design firm Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR). For more information, visit www.perkinswill.com.

About LATZ+PARTNER Landscape Architecture Urban Planning

LATZ+PARTNER have been focusing on the development of new forms of expression for the increasingly more complex tasks facing landscape architecture and urban planning for over 50 years. The practice is internationally renowned for its sensitive and sustainable designs for urban living spaces, which have been awarded myriad prizes. The office is working on an international scale. We have experience in 21 countries and a portfolio with more than 450 projects, containing town-planning like the European Town Luxembourg and urban design like St. Peter's Square, Manchester and Place Flagey in Brussels as well as large-scale landscape architecture like the Park Ariel Sharon, Tel Aviv, planning of open space and ecological building like for the collaboration with DE LA-HOZ for the Campus Repsol up to research work in the field of alternative technologies, connected with the achievement of long-term development and maintenance programs like for world-famous Landscape Park Duisburg Nord. For more information, visit www.latzundpartner.de

About TYPSA Group

Founded in 1966, TYPSA Group is a leading multidisciplinary engineering and consulting group with a long-standing relationship with public, private and institutional clients all over the world. To provide creative, feasible and sustainable solutions, TYPSA Group has set up a solid international network of offices with more than 2500 professionals and experience in more than 60 countries. In 2012 MC2 Estudio de Ingeniería joined TYPSA Group providing a highly specialised team in the planning of complex and novel types of structures, as well as unique, purpose-built buildings, high-rise buildings, roofs and complex structures. https://www.typsa.com/en/capabilities/practice-areas/buildings-cities/